Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

This is the second installment in my series of posts, “People of Prayer”.

Have you ever been led to pray for someone or something, but you really don’t get why? Maybe it’s someone you can’t get off your mind, maybe it’s someone you think doesn’t need prayer because they seem to have a perfect life, maybe it’s someone you don’t even like very much or don’t think “deserves” your time in prayer. The last is the closest example to the story of Ananias in Acts 9. We don’t know that much about Ananias, other than that he was “a disciple at Damascus” (Acts 9:10). Side note: keep in mind this is an entirely different person than the other Ananias who married Sapphira and lied about their gift to the church in Acts 5.

God spoke to this Ananias in a vision and commanded him to find Saul and pray for him. There’s a lot of water under the bridge in this situation: Saul (notice he had not become Paul yet) had passionately and violently dedicated himself to persecuting Christians. But in the middle of one of his journeys, Christ appeared to Saul and asked why he was persecuting Him. Saul is forever changed by the experience but is also temporarily blinded and led helplessly to a house where Ananias finds him later. Our perspective of Saul/Paul is largely based on his epistles, missionary journeys, and incredible life of service to the Lord. But none of those things had happened yet. Think of some of the most well-known terrorists in the world—and now imagine if God told you to go find them and pray for them in the name of Jesus. On top of that, imagine that this person had full governmental authority to command that you be arrested and killed. It would seem crazy, right?

So Ananias has a hesitant reaction to the command: “But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; and here has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name’” (Acts 9:13-14). Ananias is understandably scared—who wouldn’t be? But I love God’s response in 15-16: “‘Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.’” I could go off on a major tangent about the phrase “he is a chosen instrument of Mine” because it always gets me excited when I read it. But what I instead want to point out is that God didn’t tell Ananias he had nothing to be worried about, or there would be no dangers if he obeyed. Instead, He tells His servant that his obedience will lead to amazing things being done for the Kingdom of God.

Jesus said in the sermon on the mount, “‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you’” (Matthew 5:44). We say we want our prayers to be led by the Spirit, but if this is so, we must be ready to speak prayers we don’t understand the reason for and speak on behalf of people we think have fallen past grace. Yes, God wants us to “let our requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). But that doesn’t mean we climb into our Father’s lap and read off our wish list like He’s a mall Santa who is there to keep us happy. Paul says in Ephesians 6:18, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit” and in Jude 1:20-21, “building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God” (emphasis mine on both). I have heard people (including myself) describe prayer as a two-way conversation. But it just hit me that in some ways, it’s really four-way. We in our humanity join with the Spirit who lives in us, praying to the compassionate Father who hears and responds, all made possible through Jesus Christ, our great High Priest who gave us access to God’s throne. Prayer is this life’s most direct way of communing with the holy Trinity.

Praying in the Spirit leads us to ask that God’s will be done, even when it doesn’t make worldly sense and doesn’t align with our will. But how do we apply this principle? What does it look like practically? I think a big part of it is remembering to sit in silence with the Lord, clearing away all distractions so that you can discern His voice. This doesn’t involve “emptying your mind” as some would put it, but instead filling your mind with the Word of God and with the teaching of the Holy Spirit. David writes in Psalm 62:5, “My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.” Ask the Lord who and what He wants you to pray about, and don’t be surprised if those prayers prepare you for bold actions God will call you to take.

We may never be required to act in prayerful obedience the same way Ananias was. But we are called to pray for hard things—to pray for our enemies, to pray for our leaders and government, to pray for grace through the trial instead of removal from the trial, to pray for God’s will to be done and not ours. Be forewarned that your flesh may not always truly desire these things you are praying for. But still be obedient; still pray, even when your heart “isn’t in the right place.” Allow God to use your season of hesitant faithfulness to transform your heart to look like His. Trust God’s leading more than your own desires, and He will bring growth to the soil of your soul.